


crease

by nonbinaryezrabridger



Series: Star Trek Secret Santa [7]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Love Confessions, don’t copy to other sites
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:41:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28392552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonbinaryezrabridger/pseuds/nonbinaryezrabridger
Summary: Chakotay helps make sure Janeway takes care of herself. When she buries herself too deep in work, he is there to help pull her out. She appreciates it more than she lets on.
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Series: Star Trek Secret Santa [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/898341
Comments: 10
Kudos: 52





	crease

**Author's Note:**

> Star trek secret santa 2020 gift for @the-randomness-and-fandomnesson tumblr!
> 
> tbh this story had me pulling my hair out bc star trek doesn't have many domestic details, such as do they still iron clothes in the future? Do they replicate their uniforms or do they keep closets full of them? Etc.
> 
> tw for this story: none
> 
> EDIT: the character in the captain’s chair for the night shift was originally named Naomi. I had forgotten there was a canon voyager character named Naomi. The character has been renamed Sarah to avoid confusion.

\-------------------------

Chakotay steps out into the brightly lit hallway, squinting as his eyes try to adjust from the comfortable darkness of his room to the white light in the hallway. Despite it being the ship’s night, all the hallways remain as brightly lit as they do during the day. While dimming the lights during the ship’s night would be more comfortable for those who sleep during this period, the night shift needs to be able to see clearly, so the hallways and any public rooms remain brightly lit. Chakotay had woken to the beeping of his alarm and rolled over to stare at the alarm clock where the clock face read one o’ clock. He had groaned, but had gotten up quickly and changed out of his pajamas and into his uniform. He heads down the hallway to the turbolift, his stride relaxed and slow. He’s still waking up, but he nods to the crewman he passes as he reaches the turbolift. The doors slide open to welcome him, and he rises up to the bridge. 

He steps out onto the bridge, taking a look around, noting that everyone is at their stations, though they’re working in the relaxed fashion of people who are not expecting any danger. He walks over to the captain chair, in which sits a woman with long braids flowing down her back. He takes a seat in the chair next to her and grins at her. She smiles back and he asks:

“She still in there, Sarah?”

Sarah sighs and nods.

“Sure is. She came out to check on us when night shift started, but since then she’s been locked away in there.”

Chakotay shakes his head as he stands, and pats her on the shoulder.

“Thanks, Sarah. Keep up the good work.”

Sarah gives him a sunshiny smile and a mock salute. Chakotay leaves the captain’s chair behind and walks over to the captain’s ready room. The door is, as expected, shut. He knocks gently on the metal and waits. After a long moment, Janeway’s voice comes through, muffled but clear enough: 

“Come in.”

Chakotay keys the door open and steps inside, smiling as he catches sight of the woman inside. She looks frazzled, her hair unbrushed and bags under her eyes, but the iron will that keeps her under control has not faded at all. She is reading on a padd, swiping at the screen occasionally, not looking up to see her visitor. The door swishes shut behind Chakotay, cutting them off from the bridge and enclosing them in privacy. Chakotay steps forwards and says:

“Captain.”

Janeway doesn't look up; just wrinkles her brow and frowns as she taps aggressively on the padd’s screen. Chakotay walks the rest of the way to the desk, close enough that he can lean against it. When he speaks again, his voice is almost a whisper:

“Kathyrn.”

Finally, Janeway looks up. She meets his eyes and slowly, smiles. 

“Sorry, Chakotay. ”

He smiles too, and reaches out to lay a hand over her hand which grips her padd. 

“Kathyrn, you been awake for three days straight.”

She sighs and shifts in her chair, reaching over to a mug sitting on the desk, half full of what must be coffee. She takes sip, winces, but then takes another. She says:

“I’ve been doing research. We’re entering a new area of space, we need to be prepared.”

Chakotay gives her a look and says:

“True enough, but what we also need is a captain who is well rested and sharp if needed.”

Janeway sighs, reaching up with one hand to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. She looks back down at the padd, refocusing on the text on the screen. Chakotay waits for her to turn it off, but she keeps reading, clicking through to the next page. She mumbles something unintelligible and that is when he decides to make his move. He moves his hand, which until now had been simply lying on top of hers, to grab the top of the padd. Gently, he pulls it out of her hands. Her head snaps up and she glares, without any real heat. Chakotay smirks at her, holding the padd behind his back, and says:

“I’ll call the doctor if I need to.”

Janeway groans and replies:

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Chakotay meets her eyes and doesn’t look away.

“I’ll do it.”

Janeway stares back for a long moment before she slumps down in her chair, her steely focus dissipating. 

“Fine.”

Chakotay grins and sets the padd back on the desk before reaching out to take her hand.

“Come on, you need to go to bed.”

Something in her eyes softens and she smiles, squeezing his hand tight.

“Alright.”

She stands and strides quickly towards the door. Chakotay quickly adjusts to her speed and follows her out the door. As they pass through the bridge, Janeway nods at the night shift crew before heading for the turbolift. She seems unconcerned with the fact that she is publicly holding her first officer’s hand, but if she’s not worried about it, neither is Chakotay. Once the turbolift doors close, Janeway lets her head rest against the metal wall. Her eyes fall shut, the exhaustion finally showing through. But once the doors open again, she’s back to her controlled self, no sign of exhaustion as they walk down the hallway to her room. Chakotay feels strangely privileged, watching the change in her presentation. She must feel safe around him, to let him see this side of her. She doesn’t feel that she has to be a captain around him, she can just be a human being.

They reach the door to her room and Chakotay lets go of her hand. He’s turning to leave when she says quietly:

“Wait.”

He turns, not sure what to expect. Her voice is usually loud and strong, perfect for giving orders, but he gets to hear the softer side of her voice when they’re alone. The hallway is a dubious place of privacy---someone could walk by---but evidently she feels safe enough to let down her guard. She continues:

“Would you come in?”

It’s not like he’s never seen her quarters before; they share meals there, and he’s spent plenty of time sitting on her couch and simply chatting. So he doesn’t even think about it before he nods and steps up to her side. The door slides open for them, and they walk into her quarters. Chakotay expects her to settle in the living room, but she heads straight for the bedroom. Chakotay follows, and ends up leaning against one of the walls, carefully avoiding the small paintings hung around the room. Janeway sits down heavily on the bed. Then she flops down onto her side and goes boneless, curled into the covers. Chakotay can’t help but smile; she’s always full of tension, the weight on her shoulders of caring for her crew in uncharted space.But here, in her own space, she can relax.

She’s beautiful when she’s confident and competent, standing on the bridge like she belongs there. But he thinks she’s even more beautiful like this, hair falling messily into her face and her eyes falling shut.

He watches her for a long moment. She stays still, her eyes shut, and he wonders if she’s fallen asleep that quickly. He steps up to the bed, momentarily unsure of what to do. If she is asleep, should he wake her? She is still in her uniform. But as he reaches the bed, Janeway’s eyes crack open. She smiles at him, and he feels his stomach fill with butterflies. She smiles often, but to have that smile pointed just at you? It feels amazing, almost overwhelming. It urges him forward, taking the chance of reaching down to cup her face with his hand. They are physically affectionate rarely; but usually only something that can be called friendly, a hand on the shoulder or the back. He almost expects her to pull away, scold him for being too familiar. Instead she heaves a sigh, relaxing further, and gently pressing her cheek into his hand. That brings a smile to his face. They stay silent for a moment, until Janeway says:

“Would you like to lie down?”

Chakotay does his best not to look surprised as he asks:

“With you?”

She nods and says:

“Yes.”

Chakotay kicks his shoes off and shuffles around the bed to the other side before lowering himself down carefully. He curls his tall frame to fit onto the bed, careful not to touch Janeway as he does so. He adjusts the pillow under his head until he’s settled, and then turns to look back at Janeway. She’s watching him, smiling slightly. Then she speaks softly:

“Thank you, Chakotay.”

Her eyes are intent, but loving nonetheless. Chakotay is unsure how to respond, so he jokes:

“For forcing you to sleep?”

Janeway laughs.

“For that, yes, but for everything else too.”

She moves closer to him, until their faces are almost touching, their legs tangled together. Chakotay breathes deep, keeping eye contact with her, waiting for her to make the next move. She reaches out and presses a hand to his chest, then lets her head fall forwards until their foreheads are touching. Then she says softly:

“Chakotay, I love you.”

Part of him feels like was always waiting for this, and now it’s happened, but the rest of him feels shocked. She’s his captain and his friend, and he did not ever expect her to become something other than that. But here she is, and she’s said it first. She’s waiting patiently, watching him with loving eyes. There’s no expectation there, nothing that says he has to reciprocate. He doesn’t hesitate before he says:

“I love you, Kathyrn.”

She smiles widely before cuddling into him, close enough that their chests are pressed together. Then, when she’s as close as she can possible get, she says:

“Well, now that we got that off our chests, I’m going to sleep, if you don’t mind.”

Chakotay laughs.

“You need it. I assume the fact that you’re wrapped around me means you’d like me to stay?”

Janeway teases:

“Brilliant deduction. You are, of course, free to leave if you need to.”

Chakotay settles deeping into the pillows and says:

“There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”

\---------------------

Chakotay wakes slowly, comfortably, but also aware that’s not in his own bed. The bed is the exact same as his---starfleet issue---but what really tips him off is the warmth of a person cuddled against his chest. His memories of last night quickly return and he smiles as he opens his eyes. Janeway’s face is pressed into his shoulder, hidden behind a veil of messy hair. He raises a hand to brush the hair aside to meet her eyes and she smiles up at him. Then she looks down and complains:

“Fell asleep in our uniforms. Good thing they’re not too uncomfortable.”

Chakotay grins and replies:

“Well, they’ll definitely need some ironing.”

Janeway laughs and sits up, finger combing her hair back as she rises. She looks over at the closet as she says:

“Want to change and get some breakfast before our shift?”

Chaktoay sighs, loathe to leave the warmth of the bed, but sits up as well, throwing his legs over to stand. Janeway’s already by the closet, pulling out one of her uniforms. She throws it over her arm and then walks over to the replicator and orders: 

“Men’s uniform, red, large slim fit.”

The replicator spits out the uniform, which she grabs and hands over. Chakotay takes it and heads towards the bathroom to change. Janeway laughs as he goes and as the door slides shut, he hears a muffled:

“What a gentleman. I think you’ve reached the point where you can see me naked.”

Chakotay laughs and finishes pulling the uniform over his undershirt before he waves the door open and returns to the main room. Janeway is waiting for him, fully dressed and her hands on her hips. He walks up to her, takes her hand, and pulls her in close. He says:

“I would love to stop and admire the view, but we need to hurry.”

Janeway laughs and teases:

“Excuses, excuses.”

Then she pulls him towards the doorway as she says:

“Shall we see what Neelix has come up with this morning?”

Chakotay lets his hand drop free of hers as they enter the hallway and they walk side by side to the mess hall. Chakotay replies:

“I thought the schedule said pancakes, but who knows what else he’s been experimenting with.”

Janeway grins and says:

“As long as he has coffee I’m happy.”

Chakotay jokes:

“Oh, he’ll have coffee. Or else you might just leave him at the next habitable planet.”

Janeway laughs as they enter the mess hall and replies:

“I just might!”

Neelix greets them eagerly and spoons some sort of alien fruit compote over their pancakes, with the accompanying cups of coffee. They settle in at a corner table near the viewports and begin to eat, lit by the starlight streaks of warp drive. They are quiet, too focused on eating to talk. Chakotay watches her carefully cut her pancakes and smiles to himself. She’s beautiful, and she’s chosen to be with him. Together, they’ll face the new region of space and keep the crew safe.

\----------


End file.
